Microsoft’s ‘Next-Gen’ Skype Client Only Works on Old Windows

If you have been using Microsoft’s ‘next-gen’ Skype client for the past few months, you will have seen that app add new functionality nearly every week. And knowing that it now has feature parity to the older desktop clients, Microsoft is formally ending the preview.

Starting today, the ‘next-gen’ desktop client is now out of preview and is available for users on Mac and older versions of Windows 10. Specifically, if you are running Windows 10 November Update (2016) or older, along with Windows 7 and 8, you can also download the application.

What’s odd here is how this app version works on some iterations of Windows 10 but not all builds. While it may be a technical reason under the hood, this creates a confusing message about which application a user should download. Especially when considering that the Windows 10 November Update (2016) is the Anniversary Update + the November cumulative update, good luck to the average consumer trying to figure this out.

The only logical argument I can think of here is that you can use this version of Skype on the Long Term Servicing Branch but that version of the OS likely shouldn’t be using Skype in the first place. The LTSB version of Windows is not designed for desktop-use and should only be deployed to machines that operate critical infrastructure.

For everyone else, using the Skype app from the Microsoft Store makes the most sense but if for some reason you are holding onto your install of 1511, this is an option for you.

At the end of the day, most people will not notice this change and will likely receive the update via automatic updates; life will go on as normal. The preview for this app started in August and as of today, the beta test is over.